Saturday, 8 January 2011

These are some London windows that I will miss when the Central St.Martins campus de-camps from the Charing Cross Road to Kings Cross. I like to embrace change so I'm trying not to get too sad and caught up in nostalgia - but i do always enjoy having a peek at whats going on and check out what the loitering students are wearing. Here is the latest window I snapped walking past just before Christmas. The installations usually baffle me and to be honest I don't really like them BUT this one is really lovely. Its not the typical cryptic flickering TV Screen scenario. I like the title too! emotion driven process based parallel identities

To see more from behind the scenes of setting up Craig's window for Selfridges "Bright Young Things" ........... head to the comprehensive and extensive coverage on James Barnett's blog who collaborated with Craig on the design.To actually buy a one-off, hand made piece of Craig Lawrence knitwear (which I have witnessed being made by the man himself) head to the online shop here............... for example this ribbon scarf which is not just called "exclusive" IT REALLY IS A ONE OFF.

Wake up from the sobriety of post Christmas Sales red posters and get giddy for a New Year's dose of intoxicating inspiration. Today is a real milestone in the history of Selfridges "billboards to the world" windows with the January scheme entitled "Bright Young Things". It is a very clever concept and makes so much sense, its seems strange it hasn't been done before. They have invited 20 emerging designers to each take over one of the front windows in addition to complementing the exercise with ordering a limited edition of pieces to be stocked in store. This is giving both a creative fun brief for the talents to let loose in a major retail space and investing in their business by injecting money into their wares. Selfridges are unparallelled to other stores in spotting and supporting stellar stars in accession. The team diligently do their research at the shows each season and follow instinct to take risks on commissioning fledgling artists finding their feet. The project is unveiled today with some of my favourite personalities involved such as Alex Noble, Charlie Le Mindu, Craig Lawrence and Simone Rocha. I visited Simone's studio earlier this week to see how she was planning her installation with a taped out area across the floor of her HQ. Later that night she dismantled the test and transported the pieces to the West End for an overnight install finishing at 4a.m! I contacted Selfridges Windows & Concepts Manager Sarah McCullough to find out more about how they chose each creative, and in particular Simone:

"I'm ever so excited about it, I can hardly believethat its come to fruition, when I had my first inkling that it might be anice idea to explore I never imagined it would grow into such a big scheme...........I'm also a bit terrified, I don't think we've ever given over so manywindows for folks to do whatever they want with! .................In terms of why we chose Simone specifically, I think more than anyone else we just felt that lovely heartache you get when you see something you'd love to have and wear yourself. I think everyone involved in the selection process felt her collection was both beautiful yet utterly wearable. Her window, as I'm sure she has told you, is inspired by Frances Bacon's studio, she re-creates it using detritus from her own studio. .....................Sketch books, papers, oddments. I love how she is revealing her creative process, it's the bit I always find most interesting about creative practice. When I was at art college I used adore peeping in peoples sketch books, they often contained the most wildly interesting threads of thought. The atelier or designers studio is a really magic, alchemic place so I can't wait to see Simone's interpretation in her window."

Here are my snaps from Simone's studio experiment to give an insight into how her finished display will appear. It seems very fitting to have focused on her inspiration of Bacon for the purpose of this project. The artist was well documented for having a totally out of control and messy workspace! Here Simone piles together all of her Polaroids and periodicals in a similar chaotic style with the same exquisite refined final product. Check out the online catalogue to take a look at her cut-out shirt, dress and pink perspex clutch bag that she has produced for the pop-up shop. Simone will be presenting her second season with Fashion East at London Fashion Week in February.

Happy Feet! Oh yes!Normally the prospect of a pair of socks for Christmas drains the enthusiasm out of any unwrapping. BUT when you peel away silver foil and reveal a pair of cosmic graphic Corgi Socks from AMS, you feel like Charlie discovering the golden ticket from the Wonka Bar. The graphic pattern and cosmic colour palette is just one thing ............ the other is that they are produced by the British heritage knitwear company Corgi Hosiery Ltd, knitters to the Queen! If the Queen's padding round Buckingham Palace in this type of quality knit, then I'm jumping on that royal bandwagon! Corgi pieces are hand knitted in Wales on traditional knit machines and then each lovingly finished by hand. Watching Craig knitting like this every day in the studio, I can fullly appreciate the time and care it takes! AMS designed by Lynn Cockburn and Danny Sangra, each item comes wrapped in its own Tyvek bag with an original piece of Sangra artwork. Here is a snap of mine....... thanks guys!

FB: What garment or accessory did you most enjoy wearing in 2010 and what was the best occasion and why?

DS: "Firstly let me say I know my accessory isn't ground breaking fashion and also seems kinda dull (especially compared with Lynns overalls) however what I have to stress is how much I HATE sun glasses. I like them on other people but I hate them on myself. Never have I felt comfortable in them and coming from England I don't find them useful at all. I hate the way you have to keep taking them on and off. I loath when people wear them on their head especially indoors. I don't like hanging them around my neck as they always fall for some reason....However...this all changed when I was on my way to Big Sur CaliforniaI knew I needed a pair of sunglasses and after searching I finally found the one pair of sunglasses that would become my accessory of the year. The simple Rayban yes, however the folding wayfarer is of distinct shape. They are slightly larger, slightly more comfortable and they come with a little leather box that fits perfectly in my pocket. So no need for placing them on my head like an Italian exchange student when go grocery shopping."

FB: What garment or accessory did you most enjoy wearing in 2010 and what was the best occasion and why?

AG: "I would say : threeASFOUR VORTEX swim (from spring - summer 2011 ) love this swim since it is so good for so many different activities from surfing to yoga or to any other excises or just for everyday underwear !love when a piece is not just beautiful and it actually function and make sense .. this swim is definitely the winner of this year for me !"

FB: What was your favourite song of the year and what was the defining moment hearing / dancing to it?

AG: "That is a hard question ....with music ... i usually dont have one winner ...but if i had to choose i would say :harry nilsson : put the lime in the coconut this song has it's own charm like no other !!was a good - good mood toll for me and my loved ones for this past year !!highly recommend !!!!!!!"

FB: What was the best life lesson you learnt in 2010 or revelation / epiphany that has changed your outlook?

JC: "There always seems to be this imminent deadline lurking in the shadows too many things to have done in such little time, if only I can squeeze 30 hours into 24.

In conjunction with The Firm I showed my first solo exhibition Hold Onto More,it required military precision to complete everything on time to avoid stressing and draining all the energy out of me.

Living in London causes soo many things to stimulate my mind and create images in my head which are desperate to squeeze out into reality, 2010 has been the year where I've realised the projects I feel passionate about and mastered the art of time management...*cough*

Now I'm using the 24 hours which I'm allocated with to only giving birth to the projects I feel passionate about and work with people that excite me, after all time is precious."

Monday, 3 January 2011

FB: What was your favourite song of the year and what was the defining moment hearing / dancing to it?

OH: "My favourite song of the year 2010 is Look Right Through by Storm Queen. Sadly the was no amazing moment in a club where i heard it and freaked out. In truth I was just shuffling around the kitchen making some food. I'm pretty Storm Queen is Morgan Geist of Metro Area fame, but i haven't looked into it."

FB: What garment or accessory did you most enjoy wearing in 2010 and what was the best occasion and why?

MO: "My very good friend Frieda Gormley got married to the lovely Javvy Royale this May at Wapping Church, complete with an insanely stylish and fun reception at the Wapping Project. Me and my best friend Hannah were given the honour of being the world's oldest flower girls, no we definitely didn't feel stupid scattering petals up the aisle as we walked ahead of the bridesmaid's. For the occasion, by mum made our Flower Girl dresses, which were based on an old Future Classics block and made out of a ditsy floral Liberty crepe de chine. The dresses were insane with 6m of fabric and 28 pattern pieces to each. But hey, were the most fun to wear ever, I might even get married in mine."

FB: What was your favourite song of the year and what was the defining moment hearing / dancing to it?

MO: "For the past two weeks i spent most of the day going "Oh na na, what's my name." Its calmed down a bit now but i think our lil Rhi Rhi most definitely scores high of my favourites of this year. Gil Scott Heron's 'Me and the Devil' is also pretty epic. That old dude is WAY MAJE."

Madeleine Ostlie (Madeleine to the right of portrait), Stylist & Blogger

FB: What garment or accessory did you most enjoy wearing in 2010 and what was the best occasion and why?

SD: "hmmm.... one of my favourite bits from this/last year would be would be playing dress-up with Craig in Holly Fulton SS10 and trotting around in Craig's first statement shoes!! The Paris sale rooms tend to drag at the end so we got a few cans and dragged with it! Wooooooo!"Stephen William Doherty

Running Rainbow

Its A London Thing

My book out on September 19th

'Multi-talented Fred Butler is quite the east London renaissance girl, with fingers in so many creative pies that they're difficult to tick off.

Of course, there are the splendidly exuberant accessories, wearable sculptures whose sparkle has attracted fashion magpies such as Gaga, Bjork and Nicki Minaj. But there is also custom made prop styling, art directing and film making.